Planting Fields to display Multi-grafted Fruit Trees in Exhibition by Acclaimed Artist

By Thomas Nothel

The Planting Fields Arboretum will be presenting Sam Van Aken, an internationally acclaimed artist and bio-visionary, as he presents the “Planting Fields Stand” of grafted fruit trees and an accompanying discussion of environmental storytelling on September 19th and 20th.

Van Aken has appeared in National Geographic, the Smithsonian, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Cube Design Museum in the Netherlands. 

The Planting Fields Stand with be presented in two events: an exclusive after-hours artist talk; and a free, family-friendly exhibition opening.

The first event is on Friday September 19th from 6pm – 8pm. The cost is $35.00 per person.  Registration prior to the event is required. 

That event includes access to Van Aken’s cyanotypes, herbarium specimens, and a lecture by the artist. 

The second event is on Saturday, September 20th, and celebrates the opening of the Planting Fields Stand - a living art installation of four multi-grafted fruit trees that tell the layered story of the landscape at Planting Fields.

One tree will honor the region’s indigenous heritage, composed of fruit varieties cultivated by the Matinecock people.

A second tree will reflect the estate’s history under the Coe family, featuring pear varieties recorded in their planting notes discovered in the Planting Fields Foundation archives.

A third tree will highlight apple varieties from the first half of the 20th century, connecting to Long Island’s agricultural legacy.

Completing the stand, a stone fruit tree will bear an array of peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries historically grown in the Oyster Bay area.

At the Visitor Center, attendees will discover how The Planting Fields Stand was created, with large-scale tree graft diagrams and an introduction to the artist’s grafting tools and techniques.